What would your launch vehicle be.

[AlexBrown]

If you had unlimited funding and any technology we currently can build (this includes NERVA's and etc), what would your ideal launch vehicle be.

Mine personally would be a horizontal take of SSTO with 6 SABRE engines, with enough fuel to take 10 tons to GSO.

Edited January 4, 2014 by AlexBrown

[Skyler4856]

A shuttle sized SSTO with deep space NERVA's and the capability to get to mars

[Seret]

Depends on the payload.

[crazyewok]

Id go full on project Orion and launch a 10,000 ton plus ship into orbit! Boom or bust I say!

[ecat]

Id go full on project Orion and launch a 10,000 ton plus ship into orbit! Boom or bust I say!

^^ This ^^

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/28428-Orion-aka-Ol-Boom-boom (don't know if this works in 0.23)

iirc the risk assessments at the time showed the project to be not quite harmless but not outside the bounds of reason. And once in orbit you have the capability for something approaching space flight instead of our current 'tin can bobbling along the gravity lines with scarcely enough fuel for the next manoeuvre' technology.

[jwenting]

a two stage, fully reusable, launch vehicle. First stage generic enough it can fit multiple upper stages for different requirements regarding orbit, payload size, payload mass, and payload composition.

Which might mean an option to add some extra boosters to that first stage, either reusable or not depending on cost.

[Simon Ross]

For me, a functioning Verne gun using atomics. All the advantages of Orion for unmanned payload with none of the fallout

[Whirligig Girl]

Closed Gas Core Nuclear THermal Rocket SSTO VTO Reusable vehicle that can launch and entire space station in one go.

[Arran]

Depends what the mission will be..

Allthough i am inclined to go for some SSTO single stage launch vehicle, in some missions an old fashioned multi stage rocket would be more logical.

[Warhorse]

With unlimited funding, why restrict yourself to a single LV? Build a whole family of them, optimized to various tasks ...

[MatixCubix]

Ha, I would put a gigant canon powered by antimatter, I would create a capsule with an indestructable material, I would create a medical treatment for astronauts for making them capable of resisting alot of G's, And I would shoot them to mars

Probably a bad idea... lol

Julio Verne Ftw

[AlexBrown]

Ha, I would put a gigant canon powered by antimatter, I would create a capsule with an indestructable material, I would create a medical treatment for astronauts for making them capable of resisting alot of G's, And I would shoot them to mars

Probably a bad idea... lol

Julio Verne Ftw

Just saying, I don't think that's current technology seeing that it would take us OVER 10 MILLION YEARS TO MAKE ONE GRAM OF ANTI-MATTER. Although one gram of antimatter would make 600 MN of thrust when combined with normal matter.

Edited January 5, 2014 by AlexBrown
Further research proves old information ld

[maccollo]

A magic wand

[bigyihsuan]

NASA's Shuttle system (upgraded) for small payloads to LEO.

Otherwise, rockets for everything else:

Upgraded Space Launch System for everything.

Triple Saturn V's for large manned missions (5 people or more) to anywhere other than the Moon. Add SRBs or LFBs as needed.

[Galacticruler]

Well, I'd start by using that funding on R&D for super-efficient fuels and engines, then I'd use those fuels and engines to lift more of them to space, where they would be assembled into a near-light-speed craft to reach another solar system, or at least the Oort cloud fast.

[Guest]

First, a fully reusable SSTO, like Skylon but much larger and more efficient. Once in orbit it would switch to efficient NTR's for long-range deployments.

Then, a huge 3 stage rocket with 30 meter core stage powered by an alternative nuclear rocket designed for more atmospheric efficiency, surronded by 4 super-advanced SRB's. The third stage will achieve orbit with a 4 NTR engine cluster. Designed for launching crazy payloads.

Finally, stretching the bonds of realism even more, a huge railgun device for launching antimatter powered craft into space and beyond.

[Tex]

With unlimited funding, I'd build a working TARDIS! A no-brainer for sure.

[BlackBicycle]

If you had unlimited funding and any technology we currently can build..., what would your ideal launch vehicle be...

Hmm, a million beer drinkers all burping in unison towards my really big parachute?

[DerekL1963]

With unlimited funding, I'd build a working TARDIS! A no-brainer for sure.

This. It's just as technically feasible and reasonable as all but one or two of the suggestions posted here.

[Klingon Admiral]

I would build a launch vehicle which utilized the recoil of a few GSh-6-30's.